There are currently 25 mental health nurse vacancies across the Capital and Coast, Wairarapa, and Hutt Valley district health boards.

Nigel Fairley, general manager of 3DHB mental health, addictions and intellectual disability services – a joint initiative between the three health boards – said with a total workforce of 500, they continually needed to recruit as part of normal staff turnover.

Ministry of Health chief nurse Jane O’Malley acknowledged demand for mental health services had increased, but said nursing numbers had also risen.

In the year to May 2016, O’Malley said Mbie issued 15 mental health nurse work visas.

If health boards were unable to recruit locally, they could still make a case to look offshore, she said. But recruiting experienced nurses was still an issue in some parts of the country.